PBBM pushes for more classrooms in the Ilocos Region

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed relevant government agencies to fast-track the building of classrooms in the Ilocos Region by tapping into public-private partnerships (PPPs). He also emphasized that the completion of these projects should not be delayed until 2030.

"I'm glad to see the intervention at DepEd, the construction of the classrooms. I think we need to accelerate that. I do not think we want to wait until 2030 for all of those classrooms," Marcos said during the meeting.

Speaking at the Regional Development Council (RDC) meeting in Dagupan City on Friday, Marcos acknowledged the Department of Education's initiatives to further improve literacy in the region, which has consistently recorded rates above the national average.

Marcos emphasized that collaborating with the private sector through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) enables the government to implement infrastructure and development projects faster and more cost-effective. He said this approach should be utilized again to speed up classroom construction, as the Department of Education (DepEd) plans to build nearly 3,000 classrooms in the Ilocos Region between 2025 and 2030.

Additionally, under its proposed 2026 budget, DepEd aims to hire more school principals, administrative officers, school counselor associates, and project development officers for the region.